Sony exec confirms PS3 using 65nm processor
updated 02:05 pm EST, Fri November 9, 2007
Sony Confirms 65nm PS3
The new 40GB PlayStation 3 does use an improved version of the Cell processor, Sony Computer Entertainment head Kaz Hirai has confirmed in an interview. The company had issued conflicting messages about the console but now says that the new budget PS3 uses a processor made on a 65-nanometer process that both cuts down on power use and the need for active cooling. Even though the system's NVIDIA-made RSX graphics chip is still using older 90-nanometer technology, the improvement cuts peak power use from 380 watts to 280 and drops the volume 6 decibels to a quiet 30dB ideal for watching Blu-Ray movies, Hirai notes.
The SCE president did not say how soon higher-end 80GB systems would see the upgrade, or when NVIDIA would provide the same treatment to the RSX chip. However, the company also indicated alongside the interview that it intended enhance the audiovisual features of the PS3 over time to support new features, including the ability to play user-made discs with AVC video and may support a new Blu-Ray disc format named LTH that uses an organic pigment to produce discs at a far lower cost.
